Lesson 27: Relative Pronouns & Uncertainty
Sindarin relative pronoun i, relative clause structures, expressing uncertainty and probability, and the particle ma for questions and possibility.
Introduction
In Lesson 24 we introduced relative clauses as part of complex sentence structure. This lesson goes deeper — giving a complete treatment of the Sindarin relative pronoun i, its interaction with the definite article, advanced relative clause patterns, and the related topic of expressing uncertainty and possibility in Sindarin.
The relative clause and the uncertainty particle ma are closely linked: both involve a kind of "subordinate" or "embedded" proposition, and both use the same functional word (i or ma) in slightly different ways.
1. The Relative Pronoun i — Form and Function
The Sindarin relative pronoun "who / which / that" is i — the same form as the definite article.
How to Tell Article from Relative Pronoun
| Context | i = | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before a noun | Article "the" | i aran = "the king" |
| Before a verb (after a noun) | Relative "who/which" | i tirant = "who watched" |
| Between noun phrase and verb | Relative "who/which" | i aran i tirant = "the king who watched" |
The article triggers soft mutation on the following noun. The relative pronoun does not trigger mutation on the following verb (verbs in relative clauses take regular forms).
Formal Definition
The relative clause construction:
[Head noun phrase] + i + [relative clause verb phrase]
The head noun is the referent of the relative pronoun. The relative clause verb agrees with the head noun in number and person.
2. Subject Relative Clauses
In a subject relative clause, the head noun is the subject of the relative clause's verb:
"The elf [who sang]" — the elf is the subject of sang.
| Sindarin | English | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| I edhel i linnant | "The elf who sang" | i edhel = head; i linnant = relative clause (3sg past) |
| I aran i tirant i varad | "The king who watched the tower" | tirant = 3sg past; i varad = object within relative clause |
| I elbereth i orthant i elenath | "Elbereth who kindled the stars" | orthant = 3sg past of ortha- (raise); elenath = all the stars |
| I edain i tolant | "The men who came" | tolant = 3pl past of tol- |
| I galadh i nâ beleg | "The tree which is great" | copula in relative clause |
Mutation Behavior in Relative Clauses
The initial consonant of the relative clause verb is not routinely mutated by the relative i. The verb in the relative clause takes its normal form:
- i aran i tirant — tirant starts with t; the t remains as t (not d or th)
- This contrasts with the article i, which does cause soft mutation on the following noun: i varad (the tower) — b→v
This non-mutation of the relative-clause verb is one of the clearest diagnostic differences between the article and the relative pronoun.
3. Object Relative Clauses
In an object relative clause, the head noun is the object of the relative clause's verb:
"The tree [that I see]" — the tree is the object of see (I see the tree).
| Sindarin | English | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| I galadh i cenin | "The tree that I see" | galadh = obj. of cenin (I see) |
| I lind i linnon | "The song that I sing" | lind = obj. of linnon |
| I corf i agor i aran | "The ring that the king made" | corf = obj. of agor (made); i aran = subject of relative |
| I estel i onen | "The hope that I gave" | estel = obj. of onen (I gave, past) |
In object relative clauses, the relative clause contains both a subject and a verb, and the head noun is implicitly the object. The word order within the relative clause is typically SV (subject + verb) since the object position is "filled" by the head noun.
4. Attested Relative Construction: I Chîr Dithen
From Tolkien's published Sindarin material, we have evidence for relative-like constructions in several songs and poems. One key attestation:
Guren Bêd Enni (Revisited)
From Tolkien's Sindarin text in The Road Goes Ever On:
A tiro nin, Fanuilos, / o menel aglar elenath! / Na-chaered palan-díriel / o galadhremmin ennorath, / Fanuilos, le linnathon / nef aear, sí nef aearon!
This passage does not contain an explicit relative clause with i, but the participial construction palan-díriel (having gazed afar) functions like a relative/temporal adverbial clause, as analyzed in Lesson 24.
I Arth Type Constructions (Partial Attestation)
Tolkien's drafts and linguistic notes show relative i in constructions like:
- I vaer used as a relative nominalized phrase = "that which is good" (relative clause without overt head noun — a "headless relative")
- I thirant = "he/she who watched" (headless relative with person meaning)
Headless relative clauses in Sindarin can function as noun phrases:
- I tiriar = "those who watch" / "the watching ones"
- I tolant = "those who came" / "the ones who came"
5. The Attested Gûr i Bêd Enni — Full Analysis
The most important attested Sindarin relative-like construction in Tolkien's published work:
Guren bêd enni
Wait — this is actually NOT a relative clause but a main clause with subject guren (my heart). Let me provide the correct analysis from The Road Goes Ever On:
The fuller Sindarin passage (from Tolkien's song I Chîr Dithen / A Elbereth Gilthoniel) includes structures that illuminate how Sindarin uses i and related elements. The key Tolkien-attested relative use involves:
"The heart that speaks to me" — if expressed as a relative clause:
- I gûr i bêd enni = "The heart that speaks to me"
- i gûr = the heart (article + noun)
- i bêd = that speaks (relative i + 3sg present of ped-)
- enni = to me (an + ni → dative)
Breakdown:
- gûr = heart, inner spirit — an important Sindarin word
- bêd = speaks, tells — 3sg present of ped- (to speak); the vowel e lengthens to ê in the 3sg present
- enni = to me — the dative contraction of an ni
6. The Particle ma — Multiple Functions
The particle ma is one of the most versatile single-syllable elements in Sindarin. It serves several related but distinct functions:
Ma as Yes/No Question Marker
Ma at the start of a sentence turns it into a yes/no question (see also Lesson 4):
| Sindarin | English |
|---|---|
| Ma cenig? | "Do you see?" |
| Ma tolen? | "Am I coming? / Shall I come?" |
| Ma nâ vaer? | "Is it good?" |
| Ma tirant i aran? | "Did the king watch?" |
The particle ma does not change the word order of the underlying statement — it simply signals that the speaker is asking.
Ma as "What?" (Interrogative Pronoun)
Ma can function as "what?" in direct questions:
| Sindarin | English |
|---|---|
| Ma nâ? | "What is it?" |
| Ma cenig? | "What do you see?" (ambiguous: "what" or yes/no) |
| Ma ceritham? | "What shall we make?" |
| Ma linneg? | "What do you sing?" |
The same form ma serves both "do you?" and "what do you?", with disambiguation coming from context. If a question has a known subject and verb, ma introduces a yes/no question. If the question lacks a stated object or seems to ask for specification, ma = "what?"
Ma as "Whether" (Embedded Question Marker)
In indirect/embedded questions (Lesson 24), ma introduces a subordinate clause meaning "whether" or "what":
| Sindarin | English |
|---|---|
| Ú-iston ma tolen | "I do not know whether I am coming" |
| Iston ma nâ | "I know what it is" |
| Bêd enni ma natha | "It tells me what will be" |
| Ú-iston ma cenir i aran | "I don't know what the king sees" |
This embedded question function ties ma closely to the relativizer i: both introduce subordinate clauses that depend on the main clause for their full meaning.
7. Uncertainty Expressions
Sindarin expresses uncertainty and possibility in several ways:
Direct Hedging with ma
The question particle ma introduces a degree of uncertainty even in statements:
- Ma nâ vaer = "Is it good? / Might it be good?" — implies the speaker is not sure
Ú-iston (I do not know) + Embedded Clause
The most common way to express uncertainty:
| Sindarin | English |
|---|---|
| Ú-iston ma tolen | "I don't know whether I am coming" |
| Ú-iston ma nâ beleg i aran | "I don't know whether the king is great" |
| Ú-iston i tirithon | "I don't know (that) I will watch" |
Ú-iston Itself as an Attested Phrase
Ú-iston ("I do not know") is:
- ú- = negative prefix
- iston = "I know" — 1sg present of ist- (to know, be aware of) — related to estel (trust-knowledge) and ist (knowledge)
- Together: "I-not-know" = "I do not know"
The verb ist- (to know) appears in names like Isildur (ist = knowledge + ildur = admirer?), Istari (the Wizards — "those who know"), etc.
Modal Possibility (ᴺS.)
For expressing "might" or "perhaps," Neo-Sindarin writers sometimes use:
- boe (it is necessary) — strictly "must" not "might"; it expresses obligation
- Adverbs of uncertainty placed before or after the clause
The clearest strategy remains combining ú- negation with a question:
- Ma natha? = "Will it be? / I wonder if it will be"
8. Relative Clauses with Prepositions: Pied-Piping
When the head noun would be the object of a preposition within the relative clause, Sindarin (like many languages) either:
- Uses the preposition with a pronoun in the relative clause, or
- Leaves the preposition in place and the pronoun is implicit
This is the linguistic phenomenon called pied-piping (moving the preposition with the noun) or preposition stranding (leaving the preposition behind).
For Neo-Sindarin, the simplest approach:
- "The king to whom I sing" → I aran i linnon an (literally "the king that I sing to") — preposition an left at the end
| Sindarin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I aran i linnon an | "The king to whom I sing" | an = to, stranded |
| I barad i menen na | "The tower to which I go" | na = toward, stranded |
| I edhel i govannin | "The elf whom I met" | no stranded preposition needed |
9. Stacked Relative Clauses
Sindarin, like English, can stack relative clauses:
I aran i tirant i varad i cerin = "The king who watched the tower that I made"
- First relative clause: i tirant i varad — who watched the tower
- The "tower" (i varad) is itself modified by a second relative clause: i cerin — that I made
This stacking creates complex, subordinated sentences. In poetry, such nesting is a mark of sophistication.
10. The i Nominalizer
When i precedes a verbal form or adjective with no preceding noun, it can function as a nominalizer — turning the verb/adjective into a noun phrase:
| Sindarin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i vaer | "that which is good" / "the good (one/thing)" | adj. nominalized |
| i tiriar | "those who watch" / "the watchers" | verb nominalized, 3pl |
| i linnant | "those who sang" / "the ones who sang" | past verb nominalized |
| I gûr i bêd | "The heart that speaks" (or "the speaking heart") | relative / nominalized |
This use of i as a nominalizer/relativizer is an elegant feature of Sindarin that allows great concision.
11. Summary: i and ma Functions
| Form | Function | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Definite article | i aran | "the king" |
| i | Relative pronoun | i aran i tirant | "the king who watched" |
| i | Nominalizer | i vaer | "that which is good" |
| ma | Yes/no question marker | Ma cenig? | "Do you see?" |
| ma | "What?" interrogative | Ma nâ? | "What is it?" |
| ma | "Whether" (embedded) | ú-iston ma tolen | "I don't know whether I come" |
12. Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Add a relative clause to identify which specific noun you mean:
- "The elf" → "the elf who sings"
- "The tower" → "the tower that I built"
- "The ring" → "the ring that he made" (use agor = he made)
Exercise 2: Translate these sentences with embedded questions:
- "I do not know whether he will come."
- "She knows what the king sees." (use iston for she knows? — no: 3sg istha, or cerin for knows? Use istan = she knows, or ú-iston negated)
- "The heart tells me what will be."
Exercise 3: Use ma appropriately:
- Ask "Do you see the elf?"
- Ask "What is the name of the king?" (ᴺS. — use ma + nâ + eneth (name))
- Embed a question: "I wonder whether you are coming."
Exercise 4: Identify whether i is an article or relative pronoun in each:
- I aran i linnant
- I barad i cennin
- I varad nâ morn
- I edhel i tolant erin annon
Answer Key
- I edhel i linnir (present: the elf who sings)
- I varad i cerin (the tower that I build/built)
- I corf i agor (the ring that he made)
- Ú-iston ma tolitha e ("I don't know whether he will come")
- Ista ma cenir i aran ("She knows what the king sees" — ista = 3sg present of ist-, ᴺS.)
- Bêd enni ma natha ("It tells me what will be")
- Ma cenig i edhel? ("Do you see the elf?")
- Ma nâ i eneth en aran? ("What is the name of the king?")
- Ú-iston ma tolir le / Ma tolir le? ("I wonder whether you are coming")
- i aran = article; i linnant = relative pronoun
- i barad = article; i cennin = relative pronoun (object relative)
- i varad = article; (no second i)
- i edhel = article; i tolant = relative pronoun; erin annon = prepositional phrase within rel. clause
13. Key Vocabulary from This Lesson
| Sindarin | English | Status |
|---|---|---|
| i | relative pronoun "who, which, that" | attested |
| ma | question particle / "what" / "whether" | attested |
| gûr | heart, inner spirit | attested |
| bêd | speaks (3sg pres. of ped-) | attested |
| enni | to me | attested |
| iston | I know | reconstructed |
| ú-iston | I do not know | reconstructed |
| ist- | to know | attested in compounds (Istari) |
| eneth | name | attested |
Next lesson: Lesson 28 — Timekeeping: Calendar, Months & Time